Stokes Extended From Big Plain River To The Nicholson,
And That They Extended Farthest To The Southward, Along Two Large Salt
Water Rivers In The Apex Of The Gulf, The More Westerly Of Which Was No
Doubt The Albert Of Capt.
Stokes, and the Maet Suyker of the Dutch
navigators.
These plains were bounded to the southward by box-flats, and
drained by numerous creeks, which in their lower course were tolerably
supplied with water. The most interesting fact, and which had already
been observed by Capt. Stokes, was the moderate temperature of this part
of the country. If my readers compare my observations on the weather from
lat. 15 degrees 55 minutes at the east coast, to lat. 17 degrees 39
minutes on the west coast of the gulf, they will be struck by the general
complaint of "cold nights." If they compare the direction of the winds,
they will find that at the east coast the southerly and
south-south-westerly winds were very cold, and that they became southerly
and south-easterly at the apex, and turned still more to the eastward, at
the west coast. In comparing these directions of the wind, I was led to
the conclusion, that the large plains were the origin and the cause of
these winds.
The bracing nature of the winds and of the cold nights, had a very
beneficial influence on our bodies; we were all well, with the exception
of Mr. Roper, who still suffered from the wound in his loins, and from a
distressing diarrhoea. I am not aware of the season in which Capt. Stokes
explored this part of the country; but it must not be forgotten, that the
same causes which would produce cold winds in the winter, might be the
cause of hot winds in the summer.
August 27. - We travelled about seventeen miles N. N. W. to lat. 17
degrees 11 minutes 9 seconds, through an uninterrupted scrub and
broad-leaved tea-tree forest. Half way we crossed a broad watercourse,
with long tracks of burnt grass. The Pandanus and the bloodwood grew on
its limited flats. At the end of our stage, we came to a rocky
watercourse, which we followed down, and in which a native dog betrayed
to us a deep pool of water, covered with Villarsia leaves, and surrounded
by Polygonums. Many of the dry water-holes we had passed were surrounded
by emu traps; the tracks of these birds were exceedingly numerous, A
grove of Pandanus was near the water on the sandy banks of the creek.
August 28. - We travelled about eleven miles N. N. W. to lat. 17 degrees 2
minutes 12 seconds, through the bleakest scrubby country we had ever met:
nothing but tea-tree scrub, and that not even cheered by the occasional
appearance of a gum tree, or of the blood-wood. After ten miles, we came
to a salt water creek, rocky, with detached pools of water and deposits
of salt. Following it up, we came to a well beaten foot-path of the
natives, which brought us in a short time to a good supply of drinkable,
though very brackish water.
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